


Of Sparrows and Wolves

by TheSteelChimera



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Brotherly Bonding, Foreshadowing, Gen, Gratuitous Use of "Shut Up"
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-08
Updated: 2018-08-21
Packaged: 2019-05-19 12:58:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 2,609
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14874191
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheSteelChimera/pseuds/TheSteelChimera
Summary: A series of short ficlets centred around Hanzo and Genji as brothers, best friends, and inseparable troublemakers despite it all.Tags will evolve as chapters are added. Updates irregularly.





	1. Principles

**Author's Note:**

  * Translation into Français available: [D'Oiseaux et de Loups](https://archiveofourown.org/works/15332265) by [TheSteelChimera](https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheSteelChimera/pseuds/TheSteelChimera)



Genji was being held tight in front of the gunman, the barrel of the silenced pistol pressed to his temple. Unlike Hanzo, whose expression could only be read as “unimpressed”, Genji was emoting his nervousness. Perhaps it was because he was more sure of his imminent death, perhaps it was because he’d already been held here for most of the day and he hadn’t had the chance to come home and get over his no doubt ludicrously late night, whatever it was, Hanzo didn’t care. All he cared about was that this man was holding a gun to his brother’s head, and that could not be allowed.

He raised his own weapon, finger edging over the trigger as he took aim.

“You won’t shoot, you’ll hit your precious little brother.” The gunman hissed, Hanzo had forgotten his name as soon as he’d heard it. He didn’t care to know the name of yet another assassin after the heirs to the Shimada empire, “And you don’t want him to get hurt do you? That’s why you came here.”

“Genji can handle himself.” Hanzo didn’t lower his gun, keeping it trained on the man’s head, despite Genji’s being in the way.

“Oh? Doesn’t look like it.” The muzzle of the silencer was pressed deeper into Genji’s temple, who winced.

“Presently, I assume he has a hangover. Which is unfortunate but not surprising.”

“Hey!” Genji retorted

“Shut up!” the assassin shouted.

“Ah, not so loud.” Genji complained, wincing visibly.

Hanzo had a hard time telling whether Genji was actually still hungover from last night despite it being five in the afternoon, or whether he was faking it. Given how many times he had actually been hungover in situations like these, he should be pretty good at it by now.

“Come on, Hanzo. Just give me what I want and I’ll let the little Sparrow go.” He smiled, “That sound like a deal?”

“I will not tell you anything.” Hanzo made a point of not reacting to the way the gunman used their names. It didn’t matter that he knew, he wouldn’t be leaving this encounter alive.

The barrel was pressed into Genji’s temple again, “Then maybe I should kill him to show you I mean business.”

Hanzo fired a shot, Genji yelped in pain, the gunman dropped him in surprise, Hanzo followed with a round between his eyes.

“You shot me!” Genji exclaimed, “Again!”

“I know.”

“Why?” He argued, “I thought we had agreed last time that you’d find another way.”

“You’re alive aren’t you?” Hanzo shrugged ,”It was that or a bullet through your skull rather than his.”

Genji scoffed, “Typical.”

“What?”

“You never keep up your end of the bargain…” He pouted as he lifted himself off the ground.

“I do.”

“No, you don’t.”

“I bought lunch last week.”

“Yes! And I paid the three weeks before that!”

“It’s not as if it’s going to make any dents in your allowance.”

“It’s the principle!”

“And since when have you cared about principle?” There was a smirk playing on Hanzo’s lips.

Genji punched him in the shoulder, “Whatever, now help me get back.”

“Why?”

“Because you shot me, that’s why. If I can’t walk, it’s your fault.”

Genji didn’t give Hanzo much of a choice as he practically fell on him, “Fine.” He sighed, “I’ll help you back.”

“Thank you, brother.”

“Shut up, Genji.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is supposed to be something of a loose collection of feel-good ficlets. I'm not going to polish these too much, just write as they come and post the ones I'm happy with.  
> I've actually been sitting on most of these for months now and thought I might as well post them.


	2. Sakura

“Genji.” At the sound of his name, Genji lazily stopped pretending to sleep and cracked an eye open towards his brother.

“What?” he asked, muffled by his pillow.

“Come see.” Hanzo motioned from the window, it looked like he was floating in mid-air, but Genji knew there was a small ledge below the window.

“Why?” the younger brother didn’t move.

“Because it’s cool and I want to show you.”

“It’s two in the morning.” He complained

“Like you didn’t come home at four last night.” Hanzo retorted with a smirk, Genji noticed he was still wearing a silk shirt.

“Exactly.”

“Just come see.”

“Fine.” Genji dragged himself out of bed and padded over to the window.

His brother was already scampering up to the roof by the time Genji, tired and a little unsteady, swung his legs out the window

“If I fall and die, it’s your fault.”

“Noted, now come look, before it stops.”

“What stops?” Genji kept talking as he made his way up the wall. He knew this façade of the castle like the back of his hand, he could scale it in his sleep if he wanted to.

“Just come will you?”

Genji joined his brother on the roof. The moon was full and a light spring breeze was blowing past them. Against the light background of stars, silhouetted against the large face of the moon, were the branches of the sakura trees. The sharp angles jutted out like spears against the light and blowing amongst them, like fish gliding in a pond, were a myriad of petals. They rode on the breeze, floating in lackadaisical spirals across the moon’s face like so many bubbles in a champagne glass.

“Wow.” Genji was now awake and staring intently.

He plopped down, cross legged, beside his brother on the tiles simply watching the scene. They watched it in silence, Genji could only hear the distant sounds of the city down the hill. Not even Hanzo’s breathing, they’d both been trained too well for that.

“I’m glad you showed me.” He said quietly as the breeze died down

The petals fluttered down to the floor, alighting no doubt on the clipped grass sprinkled with stubborn wildflowers, or on the stone path neatly kept between the buildings.

“I’m glad you came.” Hanzo whispered, he sounded tired.

“Are you okay?”

“I’m fine, Sparrow.”

Genji frowned, “Now I definitely know you’re not okay. You never call me that.”

“Genji…”

“Did something happen at the meeting?”

Hanzo sighed, “No, it’s.. it’s just a lot.”

Genji scooted closer to his brother, and bumped his bare shoulder against the his brother’s silk clad one, “If you ever need it, you can talk to me you know.”

“I know.” Hanzo let himself relax and his head fell onto Genji’s offered shoulder, “I know, I am grateful.”

“Such formality…” Genji chuckled

Hanzo merely grumbled in response. Calm silence passed between them for a small while. The wind had picked up again, but it wasn’t strong enough to lift the cherry blossoms into the air. A car’s klaxon rudely cut through the air from below, reminding the pair of the outside world.

“Next year you’ll be joining me.” Hanzo suddenly said.

“Oh no, I’ll have to be responsible.” Genji grimaced mockingly.

“I’m serious.” Hanzo lifted his head, his fringe was messy and off-kilter, “You must have known that your golden days wouldn’t last forever.”

“Yes, but I could hope.”

Hanzo scoffed, “Of course you would.” He punched his brother lightly in the shoulder, “I bet you’ll skip out on half those meetings like you did class.”

“Don’t give me ideas, Hanzo, it just might happen.”

They laughed.

 

“Boys!” Hanzo jolted from his sleep, feeling sore and uncomfortable.

Something shifted against him, he groggily attempted to puzzle out where he was and what was moving when a sudden pressure squeezed the air out of his lungs.

“Genji!” he wheezed as his brother levered himself off his chest.

“Oh shit…” Genji whispered to Hanzo’s benefit.

They both peered over the edge of the roof to sheepishly look at their father, standing below, looking stern. They must have been quite a picture, Genji wearing nothing but a pair of fleece trousers, and Hanzo in last night’s silk shirt and slacks.

“I realise it is nearly summer, but you two should really know not to sleep outside.” The tone of humour in his voice was so insignificant compared to the disapproval that loomed in the background, “Now go get dressed and get down here. And properly, Sparrow.” He pointed an accusatory finger at Genji.

“Yes, father.” The brothers said in unison as they slunk back from the edge and back to their respective rooms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am going to be posting a French version of this fic soonish, so if you're interested keep an eye out for it. It'll be under the name "D'oiseaux et de Loups".


	3. Hit

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Based on http://daddyschlongleg.tumblr.com/post/167810888470/hanzo-comforting-a-beat-up-genji-in-their-younger with a little nod to “Those Nights”, by Aluxra: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9697106

Hanzo raced from his perch down into the alley he’d last seen his brother disappear into. Their task had been carried out, their target was dead, as per their instructions. However, they had run into his guards sooner than they had expected.

He had not seen or heard from his brother in a full six minutes. Six minutes that Genji could have spent bleeding out on the concrete. Six minutes in which Genji could be dead and he didn’t know.

Six minutes and it was his fault for not paying attention.

"Genji!" Hanzo called as soon as he spotted him, gripping a bloodstained shoulder tight.

"Hanzo…" he said raspily, he was sitting approximately against the wall, a small puddle of blood pooling under him.

Hanzo immediately discarded his bow and pulled Genji into his arms, halfway onto his lap.

"What did you think you were doing? How many times do I have to tell you not to rush in, you're going to get yourself killed!" he scolded, prying Genji’s fingers open to check the wound.

His little brother hissed in pain, Hanzo winced in sympathy. It was a graze, and a deep one.

"Hah, then you’ll finally be rid of me." Genji joked and grimaced, his hand travelled to his side, where Hanzo now noticed another wet stain of warm blood.

"Shut up, Genji." He tried to sound harsh but the tears in his eyes made it impossible.

Genji’s face etched into a lopsided smile, but it fell instantly as he took a shaky breath. He coughed and a trickle of blood escaped the corner of his lips.

Hanzo watched in horror as his brother’s eyes start to flutter closed.

"Genji! Don't die on me!” he shouts, bodily shaking him, “I don't know what I'd do without you. Please, stay with me!"

"Oh, you do care about me..." comes the slurred response, Genji’s eyes are half lidded and he’s still losing blood.

"You piece of shit, of course I do. I'm your brother." Hanzo is crying now, without reservation or care.

He doesn’t know what to do, he needs to get back to the castle, but how can he with Genji injured?

"That you are... I love you too, Hanzo." Genji says sleepily.

His hand tightly gripped Hanzo’s shirt, pulling himself closer. For safety, Hanzo thought, as a wave of guilt and panic washed over his mind.

"Stop talking as if you're dying!" he squeezed his brother closer.

“Hanzo…”

“Shut up, Genji. I’m getting us home and you’re going to live.” Hanzo straightened, forcing new resolve through himself, “Come on.”

“I’m tired.”

“That’s the blood loss, now help me get you home.” Hanzo hoisted Genji upright, “Father did say you could die and still be home in time for dinner, are you going to prove him wrong?”

“I could.”

“No, you won’t.”

The noise that escaped Genji’s lips couldn’t be called an answer. But it sounded like half a laugh and that steeled Hanzo further. With redoubled effort, he repositioned himself in front of Genji and lifted him onto his back. Hanzo felt the wet stain of blood oozing from his brother’s side soak into his own clothing, but didn’t care. He had to get him home safe.

“A piggyback ride?” Genji laughed weakly, “Thought I was too big for that?”

“Big words for a small man, Sparrow.”

Genji response was a muffled, “Fuck you Hanzo.” mumbled into his shoulder.

There was a slight pause, Genji shifted his head, resting it against Hanzo’s. He could feel his brother’s blood smear against his skin and shuddered. But his fear was quickly dispelled when Genji squeezed his arms around him.

“Thank you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I still have a couple of these lying around. I've been a little distracted by another fandom but I will get back Overwatch and the Shimada brothers eventually.


	4. Closets

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> An idea from a convo with a friend: double trans Shimada bros. This is not canon compliant at all, it’s not even my own headcanon, and I don’t even know how it could work within context. I just had this scene in my head and must write it because it’s cute.  
> Light warning for unintentional misgendering, which I did my best to handle with grace.

“I need to talk to you.” They said simultaneously.

He saw his sister’s eyes widen and she laughed, ducking her head as she usually did.

“Your room or my room?” he asked.

She thought about it for a moment, “Yours. Father might come looking for me.”

“Okay.” He led her back to his room.

His sister closed the door behind her, shutting the world out and letting them both exist in the messy bedroom. He pushed his game console to the side to sit on the bed. His sister smoothed out the covers to primly sit across from him.

“So, what is it you wanted to talk about?” she asked.

If he didn’t know better, he’d have said she was nervous.

“You first.” He was nervous too. He’d grabbed his courage with both hands earlier but now he had lost his grip.

“You asked.”

“So did you!”

They stared at each other for a moment. After ten seconds he got nervous and decided that he might as well just go for it. She was his sister, they were the closest to each other, he owed her this, he needed to tell her this, he had to for both their sakes. He could trust her, always.

“I… wanted to tell you.” He began, his voice felt too shrill, so he stopped, “I don’t think that-“ his voice arrested itself again, “I’m not…” he took a deep breath, “I’m a boy.” He said in one go.

He wasn’t sure it was intelligible.

She stared for a long while, blinking owlishly. He was about to call out to her, ask if she was upset, if she hated him now, reassure her that he was still her little sibling, the same one she always knew, just… not a girl, not her sister, but her brother instead.

Then she laughed, loudly and almost doubling over.

He felt his heart sink into his stomach. He was about to say something, but she held out a hand to stop him, composing herself in an instant, leaving only a wide smile.

“That- That is also what I had to tell you.

“Don’t make fun of me.” He pouted, hurt.

“I’m not!” he gave his older sibling a glare, “On my honour, I am not making fun of you. I am not a girl either.”

“So we’re…” he started

“Brothers?” he finished

“Yeah!” he exclaimed, beaming.

His brother’s smile was wider than he’d ever seen it. In a sudden impulse decision, he leaped towards him and squeezed his older brother tightly. He returned the embrace. They were both laughing, ecstatically and quietly all at once.

“Do you know what name you’re going to pick?” his brother asked, pulling away.

“Not really…” he pouted, “You?”

“Yeah…” he said sheepishly, fidgeting with his hands.

He tilted his head at his brother’s sudden nervousness, “Well? What is it?” he demanded excitedly.

“Hanzo.” He said quietly.

He could hear the name had been well-practiced. But he couldn’t help but find it familiar.

“Did you name yourself after Hattori Hanzo?”

His brother’s gaze flicked to the side, “Maybe…”

“You’re such a nerd.” He smiled, “Well, at least you picked a cool name and not a mathematician or something.”

“I... had considered it.” Hanzo’s shoulders fell, he was lightly insulted.

“Hanzo is better.” He affirmed, flopping into his brother’s lap.

Hanzo smiled as he placed his hands on his shoulders.

“Do you have any ideas about your name?” he asked

He pouted, thinking, “Well…” he hesitated.

It was silly, but if his brother was going to choose a name from history, why should he be afraid?

“I was thinking of Genji.”

“And you call me a nerd.” Hanzo chuckled, “At least I named myself after a warrior.”

“Genji is plenty capable.” He protested.

“And a fictional character.” Hanzo was still smiling, “But it suits you. I like it.”

Genji threw himself into another hug, squeezing Hanzo’s neck tightly.

“Thanks, brother.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I did my best to handle their names in a graceful way based on the OW wiki and my own research. I sincerely apologise if I make any potential mistakes.
> 
> (Also I realised that so far the brothers say thank you to each other in every ficlet and that made me have an emotion.)


End file.
